Pistachio Cake

I love pistachios. Dr. Andrew Weil agrees that they are a healthy snack, high in polyphenols. They are good for your eyes and are an excellent source of fiber.

Here is one of my favorite recipes featuring pistachios. My friend, Maude, took a vegan baking class at Millennium restaurant in San Francisco many years ago. She shared it with me and I took a few liberties with the recipe. It happens to be vegan but everyone I know enjoys this cake.  Lovely on its own or with a simple raspberry sauce.

Pistachio Cake

2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. plus1 tsp. semolina flour (this makes the cake a nice attractive yellow)
1/2 cup ground pistachios, plus more whole ones to place on top
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 Tbsp. lemon Juice
4 Tbsp. agave syrup
1/2  cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup coconut milk (or soy milk)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grind the pistachios in a food processor. Add the remaining dry  ingredients (flour through sugar) to the food processor work bowl and process. Whisk wet ingredients (lemon juice through coconut milk) together in a small bowl.

With machine running, add the wet ingredients. The dough will very thick and form into a ball.  Grease a 9 1/2  inch spingform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Dust your hands with flour and press the dough into the pan and scatter some pistachios on top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Cake will be golden and a toothpick will come out clean when you insert it in the middle. Allow to cool before removing it from the pan.